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BJJ Black Belt Karl Nemeth demonstrates the finer points of the ankle lock. The Straight ankle lock is the foundation of the leg lock game. Every grappler should make this submission a part of their game.

So we’re going to begin in the closed guard. Once again, we’ll be looking for our knee over guard pass, but a common thing people are gonna do is what I call the road block defense. People are going to slide their shin across to try to block you. So when I’m here, I step up and start trying to come across. I’m not gonna stop at the first sign of the block. I’m gonna make him push me away. I’m driving and I want him to push away. The other reason is I’m going to be attacking his heel, so I want him to elongate because it’s going to make it harder for him to defend, so as I drive, he pushes. I’m sliding right to his knee. Sit, kick under the far leg. This is gonna help prevent the counter. Throw my leg under the top and figure four. Sit my hip toward him. So that his leg kind of makes an “S” here. Now I’m gonna come underneath and wave hello, clap my hands together, and complete the heel hook.

Once again, I’m in the guard. Open the guard and immediately start coming in. He drives into me. Hook, under the far leg, figure four. By doing this, I make the roll out escape very difficult, but a common thing people are gonna do is when you’re here, they’re going to fight to straighten their leg before you lock the heel hook. They’re gonna turn their heel and kick straight. In that case, all I’m gonna do is come from underneath the foot, lean to the side, now I’m grabbing the shin and grabbing my own wrist, getting to my shoulder, put my elbow behind me, elongate my hips, and I’m hitting the straight ankle lock.

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So that’s our heel hook counter to the road block defense to the knee over guard pass with the straight ankle lock option.